Posted on the 27th October 2025 in PHTM News
STOKE PH DRIVER AVOIDS IMMEDIATE JAIL AFTER RISKY MOVE LEAVES CYCLIST PARALYSED
A private hire driver has been handed a suspended prison sentence after a careless manoeuvre at a Stoke-on-Trent junction left a cyclist permanently paralysed.
Khalid Mohammad (formerly Haroon Malik), 66, was driving his Toyota Prius in Burslem on September 16 last year when he attempted a turn at a busy junction despite his traffic light being red. The resulting collision with a cyclist left the victim with devastating, life-changing injuries.
Prosecutor Barry White told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court: “The victim is a 53-year-old man who is now completely paralysed.”
White explained that Mohammad “made a risky manoeuvre and turned” 11 seconds after his light had turned red, hitting the cyclist who had already begun crossing as his light had gone green.
A victim impact statement read to the court tragically detailed the consequences: “On that day, my life changed forever. Unlike the driver, who simply had his car repaired and began enjoying meals with his family again in a matter of weeks, I spent weeks suffering delusions while recovering.”
The statement continued: “While the driver spends every day with his family, I spend my most of my time in hospital alone. I miss my family. I miss my wife. I miss my son. I’m now missing Christmas, his last year of high school and his prom.”
Matthew Ness, mitigating, acknowledged the devastation, stating: “This is a genuinely tragic case. There is nothing I can say that alters the reality or alleviates the suffering of the cyclist and his family.”
He added that Mohammad “will be filled with guilt for the rest of his life,” and that the incident was a “horrific stain on an otherwise perfect driving record.”
Mohammed has lost his employment, and he will not be able to become a taxi driver again.
Mohammad, of Sneyd Green, admitted to causing serious injury by careless driving. He was sentenced to a 19-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, alongside a 12-month driving ban and ordered to pay £500 in court costs.
Recorder Robert Smith explained the decision to suspend the sentence: “You are the culprit behind a world of pain. But you didn’t intend to cause this. I accept that prison would also have a negative impact on the care you provide for your disabled son.”
He concluded: “The truth is, no sentence could alleviate the cyclist's suffering. And sentencing is not about retribution.”
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